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2.5i SE 4dr

My car

I managed 130,000 miles in my Legacy before it went back (company car).

It is a great car, very understated with fine handling and good low-down punch. The flip side I found was fuel consumption - I just couldn't get better than 25mpg average, and I don't particularily push it. The top-end grunt was also only average - motorway work in the 80mph range gave little pull in top gear.

And then there was the clutch - I got through three towards the end of its stay with me. The dealer acknowledged that high milers can get transmission and clutch woes.

It's definitely a great car, though.

3.0Rn 4dr

Jon Read
,
West Midlands
.
Date:
08/07/2005

Overall verdict

4
out of 5 stars

What's it like to drive

4
out of 5 stars

Running costs

3
out of 5 stars

Quality, practicality and equipment

4
out of 5 stars

My car

I bought the car from new and obtained a discount of about 6% from the list price, plus I also managed totake advantage of the three years' free servicing offer.

This is the first automatic I have owned and am impressed with the way the 'box changes up and down compared with other automatics I have driven in the past. Having driven 5000 miles, the engine is bedded in and revs freely up to the red line, making a glorious noise as it does so.

The levels of grip are impressive and I have come nowhere near the limits of traction on any bend - no matter what the conditions have been.

There is not that much body roll when cornering but wind noise could be reduced - it's not excessive but more noticeable than in the Volvo S60 T5 I previously had. On the other hand, it is far more manoeuvrable and has a much smaller turning circle.

The cabin is well fitted out and a comfortbale driving position is easy to find. Visibility levels are good and everything seems well put together. There is plenty of space for four adults and the ski hatch is essential for transporting fishing rods.

I'd recommend the car to anybody who wants something that bit different to the run-of-the-mill Audis, BMWs and Mercedes - you may not be buying the same perceived status but you are getting superior performance and more kit for a keener price. Who drives a badge anyway?

2.5i SE 4dr

martin findlay
,
beds
.
Date:
10/04/2005

Overall verdict

3
out of 5 stars

What's it like to drive

4
out of 5 stars

Running costs

3
out of 5 stars

Quality, practicality and equipment

3
out of 5 stars

My car

I purchased a 2.5 SE auto in November 2004 ex-demo with 9000 miles on the clock.

1)The first problem I had was with the alarm - it kept going off and it turned out to be a manufacturing fault with a switch under the bonnet. They upgraded a switch to one that was screwed in and not stuck on as the original.

2) Next there was a creaking noise when driving over bumps. Again this was a fault that Subaru was aware of and they tightened the front struts.

3)A grinding noise came from the front brakes as if pads had worn out. Subaru were aware of this and I was told it was a defect with the pads.

All of the above faults were fixed free of charge.

Overall, the car is pretty good but the auto does feel underpowered and it returns an avg 31mpg.

3.0R spec B 4dr

Catherine Johnson
,
Wiltshire
.
Date:
17/03/2005

Overall verdict

5
out of 5 stars

What's it like to drive

5
out of 5 stars

Running costs

3
out of 5 stars

Quality, practicality and equipment

5
out of 5 stars

My car

Oh my goodness what an awsome car. At home it is affectionately know as The Missile. No need to guess why it has that name.

We traded in a four-month-old Porsche Boxster for this car because of herrendous depreciation on the Porsche. As former Impreza owners, we decided to take a look at the Spec B because nothing came close on performance or equipment.

Throw into the equation the four-wheel-drive as well and in our opinion the car is an absolute winner, with stealth looks to match. We have absolutely no regrets in swapping from allegedly the best roadster on the market into what we see as the best performance saloon in its class.